DOI: 10.1097/mph.0000000000002750 ISSN:
A “SURFin’ Leukemia”: Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Masquerading as a Syndrome of Undifferentiated Recurrent Fever
Laura De Nardi, Martina D’Agostin, Samuele Naviglio, Andrea Trombetta, Eleonora De Martino, Alberto Tommasini, Marco Rabusin- Oncology
- Hematology
- Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health
Periodic fever is not uncommon in childhood and is often ascribed to autoinflammatory conditions; however, it may be present also in children with cancer. We here describe the case of a 3-year-old boy with acute lymphoblastic leukemia who initially presented with a 4-month history of recurrent, stereotyped episodes of fever and localized joint pain, separated by completely symptom-free intervals. These symptoms were initially interpreted as a possible syndrome of undifferentiated recurrent fever until more signs of leukemia became apparent. Our report confirms that acute lymphoblastic leukemia can rarely present with periodic fever, thus possibly leading to diagnostic errors unless a high index of suspicion is maintained.